Are They Compatible? Astrology and Religion

by JENNIFER FREED, Ph.D

Through many years of consulting with clients who are highly religious, I have often been asked to speak to the compatibility of astrology and religion. Although some fiercely religious folks reject the practice of astrology as heretical, I have observed an incredible ideological friendship between organized religions and the ordered universe of astrology.

Astrology is entirely compatible with rigorous religious faith. It is actually a graceful leap to imagine that a God created the universe in which even the planets and stars are guided by noble principles.

History supports my take: evidence from ancient texts, sculptures, and stained glass art clearly shows that the study of the planets and the stars predates and has influenced religious doctrine and practice worldwide. Symbols of the astrological signs and planets show up in our oldest historical places of religious worship. The emergence of significant religious figures such as Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, Buddha, and Mary Baker Eddy was associated with astrological alignments that synchronistically corroborated their arrival.

Resistance from some devout religious adherents can be traced back to a time period where priests and religious leaders wanted to mediate and interpret all religious experience from their seats of power. Before the rise of male-dominated organized religion, our ancestors sought divine inspiration directly from the heavens and felt themselves to be an intricate part of an animated universe unfolding. No one was excluded from direct contact with astrology as a practice and a belief system based on an enchantment with the divine orchestrations of the heavens. Astrology does not require worship of a single godhead or figurehead; instead, it presupposes an unlimited and purposeful intelligence that permeates the heavens and the earth in a great symphony of meaning.

The root of the word religion is the Latin religio, which means linking together. What could be more linked together than movements of the heavens and the experiences and events on Earth?

As above, so below…

Astrology honors the importance of religion and spirituality through the meaning of the 9th and 12th houses as well as the archetypes of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. The 9th and 12th houses describe areas of life where one may seek religious or spiritual guidance, experience, and/or ordainment. Jupiter can signify a great spiritual or religious leader; Saturn can refer to a stern God image; and Neptune can relate to mystical experiences and religious rapture.

A credible, unbiased astrologer can help a client deepen their connection to their faith. I have helped certain clients reclaim and activate their religious roots through an exploration of their chart, pointing them toward the strength they can find through adherence to a religious path.   For some, religion is a foundational cornerstone of psychological and mental wellbeing.

Unlike many organized religions, astrological beliefs and practices do not come with baggage of sexism, racism, homophobia, or other oppressive constraints. Even the ancient astrological metaphors of delineating masculine and feminine planets and energies have been reimagined as receptive and active energies not gendered in their expression. Just as in the sky, every planet and star has a place, every person has a powerful seat at the table of the universe.

Both astrology and organized religions:

Unlike religion, astrology:

You can see from these lists how religion and astrology could have a highly productive friendship.

In astrological terms, religion is a Saturn word: organized, spelling out right and wrong, built on and in structures and agreements. Astrology is more Uranian: freedom-seeking, inventive, egalitarian, non-conforming. Currently, we are in a vast planetary alignment between Saturn and Uranus, unveiling the tensions and the possibilities between the old and the new.

Will we see beyond oppositions between tradition (like those of organized religion) and revolution into a sustainable evolution? Is this the moment where religion and psychological astrology can come to be seen as the complements they truly can be? As an Aquarian, I certainly hope so.

This essay was featured in the March 28, 2021 edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper publishes News and Views that Rise Above the Noise and Inspires Hearts and Minds. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.

JENNIFER FREED, Ph.D

Jennifer Freed, Ph.D, is a psychological astrologer and the best-selling author of Use Your Planets Wisely. She is also the CCO of the non-profit AHA! Learn more at  jenniferfreed.com.

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